This year in slot car racing is special because we will see
Digital Racing Systems in the larger 1/32nd scale market from such brands as
Carrera, Scalextric and SCX. As popular as these will be, only ARTIN will be
releasing their versions of it in 1/43rd scale. This scale has become
more popular over the years due not only to it's smaller size, but to the
smaller price tag of both the track and the cars. The new Artin systems fall
under the name "Power Passers" and
Slot Car World has sent us samples of all the
new systems to give fans of this scale a closer look at how they work.

As unique as these systems are, it bears
mentioning that both NASCAR and IRL licensed sets will be available. This is
important as far as I am concerned as these series of racing are not only very
popular here, but in other countries as well. Choosing the right series of cars
and layouts is crucial for the success of the system and I believe Artin chose
the right route.

We received all 3 systems to test, 2 of these
systems are 2 lane with one being a 4 lane. The first is the Brickyard 400 2
Lane System. This set comes with over 25 feet of track in an oval layout design.
It comes with 25 standard straights, 12 30 degree outer curves, 2 half straights, 2 Power Passer Lane
Change Tracks, 1 Power Base, 1 Pit Lane Section, 2 Controllers, 8 Silver
guardrails, 1 Transformer and 1 Ford and 1 Dodge NASCAR Power Passer equipped
models. The box art shows buildings on the
front but they are not included in the set. Artin tells you these are bonus
infield cutouts and you have to log on to the Artin website to download them,
print them out and make them yourself. I sort of like this idea as you can
simply download as many buildings as you want to configure your layout. It also
means users of regular 1/43rd systems now have access to these buildings as
well.

The second set is the Indianapolis 500 2 Lane
System. It comes with 11 standard straights, 8 standard curves, 2 half
straights, 2 Power Passer Lane Change Tracks, 1 Power Base, 1 Pit Lane Section,
2 Controllers, 4 Silver Guardrails, 1
Transformer and 2 IRL Type Power Passer equipped models. One thing to note is
that these systems ARE pre-production sets and some changes are in process. The
box art on the INDY set has an incorrect photo of the pit lane system. It shows
the pit lane having both lanes going to the inside of the layout, but the pit
lane used is identical to the one in the Brickyard set.

The third and final set in our Power Passer
Round-Up is the 4 Lane Brickyard 400. It comes with 26 straights, 2 New Pit Lane
Straights, 12 30 degree outer curves, 8 standard curves, 2 Power Passer Lane
Change Tracks, 2 Power Bases, 2 Transformers, 4 Controllers, 8 Silver Guardrails
and 4 Power Passer NASCAR models. The pit lane section in this track is a
pre-production prototype and will be replaced with a pit lane section that
utilizes the 2 lane system for better function ability.

But the real attraction to all these sets is of
course the Power Passer option and how it works. I am certainly no electrical
genius, but I will try to explain the best I can. Each Power Passer equipped car
has a special diode to it as the photos show.

Each car is also marked with an "A" or a "B"
and each has a red or yellow guide pin. On the power base you can see where it
is marked "A" or "B" as well. It also has a diode in it and this is the
controller that will control that car, in either lane. This is how you can race
2 cars in the same lane with independent control. This does mean you must own
Power Passer equipped cars to enjoy the system.

To pass or change lanes you either keep up your
speed to stay in the lane you are in, or slow down a little before the Power
Passer Lane Change Track and you will change lanes. This works because the cars
have a guide pin that is attached to a spring that makes it move vertically at
different depths. The Power Passer Lane Change Track has different depths of
grooves in it. As you can see, there are arrows on the track that tell you which
way to mount the track. At the beginning of the crossover, there is a small
raised portion or bump in the groove. If you carry enough speed through it, when
the guide pin hits this bump, it raises it up for a split second. This is long
enough for the car to skip over the deeper groove for lane changing. If you slow
down, you allow the pin enough time to drop into the deeper groove of the track
and you change lanes.

To be honest, it is really simple. Not only is
it simple...it works. We tested this system for over 2 weeks with different ages
of drivers and all of them found the operation to be easy to learn and fun. I
must admit to our readers that I was more than skeptical of this system but
after testing it, I have had a lot of fun. It isn't just the passing and lane
changing I like, it is more of the fact that Artin didn't "over engineer" the
system. Keeping it SIMPLE is where I feel Artin made the right decision. Slot
Car World helped in the development of it and feel the input they gave helped
make it even better.

The cars in this set impressed me because the
artwork on them is waterslide decals that make them look better. Also, the 2
NASCARS are not identical bodies as I first thought. There are differences in
both to make scale enthusiasts a little happier and I feel they did a great job
on the bodies. I know I am a little picky in this department, but if Artin were
to make wheels and tires that were closer to scale for these bodies, we might
see even more enthusiasts joining the scale.

Some might say that this system it is limited
because you can run only 2 cars at a time. Others might think that because you
need special cars, that it hurts those that have larger collections of standard
models. I don't think it is limited or it hurts any enthusiast. Why? PRICE. The
new Artin 1/43rd Power Passer equipped cars will have a retail price of only
$6.00. At that price you can have a fleet of these models in no time. Also,
these chassis will fit other Artin 1/43 bodies which just makes your field of
choice even larger.

1/43rd scale is becoming more popular than some
might think. I can walk into almost any dollar/toy store and find battery
powered sets everywhere. Even our 3 local Wal-Marts carry this scale with no
sign of even HO sets on the shelf. This means that many newcomers to the hobby
are going to start in 1/43 and advanced electric sets like these from Slot Car
World and Artin could potentially keep people interested for years to come.

These
sets are a winner because the system is simple and more importantly, it works.
Although I was skeptical of this system before testing, my son and his friend
proved to me I had nothing to worry about. They have been at it now for 4 days
running and so far the system has held up to some REALLY hard racing. I think
enthusiasts of this scale will embrace the Power Passer option as it can only
add to the fun, and it does it at a great price.

- Harry

Thanks go to Slot Car World for allowing us
to test these prototype systems.

Make sure to contact them for more
information about these and other 1/43rd models and sets available.